A new gadget . . .

Recently I bought a gadget --- this gadget converts 35mm slides and film to a digital photo...and I am llllll-ov-in it!

Our printer/scanner does the same thing - but it takes a lot longer and is more complex to use.  This baby is a cinch to use.

I've been going through slides I haven't seen for a verrrrry long time.  Pictures from our dating years, HS graduation, honeymoon, fun times before kids  - - - 


Pictures of our first baby that I had totally forgot about. . . 

I was so surprised to see those pictures of DIY guy and our first born.

Then there are plenty of interesting pictures like this:

(honeymoon)

and like this:

I happen to like this one --- me in a bikini ! 

I think that was the last time I wore one too!

but these......oh my........sigh.............

Anyone have some good ideas for old slides that are no longer needed?


P.S.  Did you catch the scanning error in one photo?

RoMANtic!

Remember my friend Colin?  
Maybe I'm taking a great risk of "overdoing it"  -- as in giving him too much coverage, but trust me, this one is worth it!


In Colin's words:
This (video) was created for Emily Wilson, who is the sister of Sarah Wilson, a girl I met and became good friends with at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Sarah thought it would be a good idea to set me and her sister up despite the obvious distance in between California (where I live) and Florida (where they live). So I made a video for her sister and got one back, and thus we started talking in June 09, and I am going out to Florida in January 2010... Thus, a good reason to make such a video!
This is slightly EPIC, be advised.


this is for the girl that I haven't met from Colin Cabalka on Vimeo.

So my dear blog readers....was it worth doing another Colin post?  
You can be honest, you watched it more than once didn't you?    


Finished on 11/11 in anticipation of 01/10/10.

Directed and Edited by - Colin Cabalka
Starring Colin Cabalka, John Travolta, Lucy Chacon, and various other background extras off the street.
Camera - Justin Barlup and Laura Vailancourt
Shot with all natural light.
Graded in Magic Bullet.
Shot on:
Canon 7D
Canon 5D Mark II
Lenses Used:
Zeiss Ultra Speed Prime 50 T/1.1
Canon 50 f/1.4
Canon 18-35 f/2.8
Canon 70-200 f/4 L

A piece of art . . .

According to DIY Guy... and in his own words --
    this purse is "like a piece of art"

and to tell you the truth, I definitely agree with him!

My friend made it for me.

I was supposed to make it.

I'm not so good at knitting, and this was a bit complicated.

When my friend moved away, 

I knew I'd never make it - it required too much skill.

When she offered to make it for me

I didn't hesitate.

She knitted it.

Then "boiled it" so the wool yarn

would shrink to make it a beautiful purse.

I told myself I wasn't going to use it until I took a picture of it and thanked this amazing woman for taking the time (and sacrificing her hands) to give me such a beautiful purse.

I hate to use it and ruin it --- but it's been sitting in my living room for a couple weeks now.  It's time.  I shall use it when I got out tomorrow night with DIY Guy.

Dinnnnnerrrrr

Breakfast for dinner

"Yes, please!"

Especially when it is a homemade

Belgium Waffle!

Our boy has had the "real" Belgium Waffle

in Belgium --  with Belgium chocolate

He was happy to re-create a close (haha) copy

in our very own Midwest kitchen tonight.

I think he ate three of these!

NOT that I was counting.

well, maybe I was.

I mentioned him the other day

Colin
A college student
I know - and love
did this


Venice: "A Carnival without the Rides" from Colin Cabalka on Vimeo.

Shot in one day, all handheld.

Love the people, love the place.
Panavision Lenses and Custom built Rig.
Music By Thievery Corporation

Colin - 
--he hangs out at our house now and then--when he is in town.
--he's a friend of our Baby Girl -- which makes him a friend of the family.
--every time he visits -- he tries to teach me something about my camera 
--or photography


I think he's got some talent --- and at 20 years old -- has had some cool experiences.
I interviewed him:


So Colin....tell us about where you are working and attending class....
I currently Intern for Panavision, probably the coolest place ever. Im attending the Los Angeles Film Studies Center right now, its a semester program in Hollywood that allows you to take a few classes and do an internship almost full-time.

Describe what you do: 
I have jumped from department to department, doing everything from cleaning cables, servicing 35mm cameras and learning HD equipment, along with putting camera packages together for various shows like CSI Miami/Vegas, Dexter, etc.

What are your future goals?
I just wanna shoot stuff and work around people, ultimately using my gifts and talents to glorify God in all his majesty... Seems lofty and ambitious I know, but its worth a shot :)

What kind of equipment do you own/use?
I currently own a Canon 7D and some prime lenses, I am getting into DSLR filmmaking which is really bursting out on the indie film market.

You seem to land on some famous Hollywood sets...tell which ones...?
This semester, I got to go on the sets of: CSI Las Vegas, Desperate Housewives, Big Bang Theory, Cold Case, and a bunch more while I was making some equipment runs for Panavision.

Have you met any famous people?
I got to meet some big producers and celebrities at the Cannes film festival, and recently I met Allan Daviau on the set of Wolfman while working at Panavision, the Director of Photography for E.T, Empire of the Sun, worked alot with Spielberg. I got to chat with him for a while he was DP'ing some pickup shots for the film with Benicio Del Toro on a Panavision sound stage.


Yesterday he met John Travolta while shooting a music video on Hollywood Blvd. (He took the pic with his phone)

He also recently saw John Krasinski (The Office).

Meet my friend Colin:

"Picnik Show"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

Squirrel'n Away

Accumulate.  Amass. Assemble.  Bury. Collect. Conceal.  Cover.

Garner.  Gather.

Harvest.  Hoard.

Pack away.  Put away.  Put in the hole.

Save. Sock away.  Stock up.  Store.  Stash.

Squirrel away.

and that is exactly what 
the rodents squirrels in our yard

have been busy doing.

We unburied MANY apples in our raking

and yard clean up over the weekend.

It felt a bit like an egg hunt!

Sticks

I'm reading Don Miller's book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years -- and after recently reading Ryan's blog; I am also reminded that I’d better write down memories -  so that I don’t forget them.  

After all, it’s hard to say we’ve even lived certain parts of our lives if we can’t remember them.

Today DIY Guy (and this sweet little boy's daddy), and I trimmed some huge Red-Twig Dogwoods on our property.  As we were collecting the branches, we couldn't help but remember our stick loving little boy  . . .

We had LOTS of sticks to move . . .

Of which I saved all the prettiest red ones for decorating purposes . . .

As we picked up the sticks, and loaded them in the truck we thought of our little boy . . .

and how he loved sticks - 

and the longer the stick  --- the better

We found ourselves saying things like:  "This is a Nate stick"  and "Nate would definitely pick this stick".

Oh my, he would have been in his glory with all these sticks

Our little guy would look through all the sticks and keep "upgrading" until he was sure he had found the absolute longest stick.

Especially if there was a fire in his near future .  . .

Because this little guy knew that the longer the roasting stick was, the farther he could stand from the smoke!